To live is to eat!!! I'm a hardcore foodie and I believe one cant truly devour the flavors of life unless you follow your taste buds!!! Cooking is my recently found passion and this blog is a record of the culinary expedition that I'm on. And I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy working on it.

This one is a very popular and classy Malabar dish. A must have on the table for every grand occasions. The preparation is a day long process, yet interesting, a classic example of how innovative one can get when it comes to food! The Mussels(shell on) is first cleaned well, then stuffed with a flavored rice stuffing, then steamed, cooled, shell removed and marinated with masala and shallow fried until nice and golden. Ensures that all the flavor of the mussels is fused into the stuffing, and if just that isn’t enough, fried with aromatic masalas making it a satisfying meal. Quite an effort to prepare but worth every bite!

Ingredients:

Kallummakkaya(Mussels) with shell

Par boiled rice(puzhungal ari)- 1 glass

Rice powder to adjust consistency

Fennel seeds – 4-5 teaspoons

cumin seeds – a pinch

1 green chilly(optional)

cardamom – 4 or 5

1/2 a coconut grated

1 big onion

Chilly powder

Turmeric powder

Fennel powder

Garam masala

Ginger garlic paste

Curry leaves

Coriander leaves

Salt to taste

Coconut oil to shallow fry.

Method:

Scrub the outer shell of the mussels to remove all mud and dirt, and wash thoroughly.

Using a small knife create a small opening on the shell and clean the inside. This involves washing and removing a long black thread like thing on the inside. Take care not to separate the flesh from the shell.

For the stuffing:

Wash the rice well and soak in boiling water for about 5-10 mins. Keep it soaked in hot water for around 4-5 hours.

Grind the rice with a little water to a coarse texture.

Add the grated coconuts, a pinch of cumin and lots of fennel seeds, a big onion and an optional green chilly and salt. Grind again. The texture should be little grainy not too smooth.

Add a little rice powder to adjust consistency and mix well.

You should be able to make soft balls out of the stuffing, that should be the consistency. Neither too hard nor too runny.

For the marinade:

Mix 1 teaspoon of chilly powder, turmeric powder, fennel powder and half a teaspoon of garam masala, 1.5 teaspoons of ginger garlic paste a bunch of coriander leaves and a bunch of curry leaves and water and grind to fine paste.

Process:

Stuff the rice filling into the shell of the cleaned mussels. Be generous with the stuffing.

Steam all the stuffed mussels well for 20-25 mins.

Let it cool well for around 2 hours. Refrigerate it if needed.

Once properly cooled carefully remove the shell. Be careful with this step as the flesh of the mussels may separate from the stuffing if this step is not properly done.

Marinate it in the marinade for 3-4 hours.

Heat coconut oil in a pan and shallow fry until nice and golden.

Notes:

Cleaning is a very important step. It should be carefully and thoroughly cleaned otherwise the mussels would taste foul and also might lead to upset tummies. But also be careful to not overdo the cleaning and separate the flesh from the shell. I used a new steel wool to scrub the exterior and a knife to pull out the long black thread like thing from the inside.

I cheated on the stuffing part and used a rice powder of a brand called ‘Aamis’, which is specifically used to make pathiris, to make the stuffing. This powder can be mixed in normal water to the actual consistency and you can avoid all the soaking and grinding the rice step. Grind all the other ingredients for the stuffing except rice to a coarse paste and simply mix it with the powder and water and mould to the required consistency. But not all rice powder can be used this way, so I wouldn’t recommend doing it in this way unless you have this brand of powder.

It is important to steam it for a good 20-25 mins as the rice has to be properly cooked. Also do not steam for too long as this would make it really hard.

You must cool the steamed mussels really well otherwise the flesh would get separated while removing the shell.

You can use any oil for frying, but again, nothing like coconut oil!

It is best to cool it a little before serving.

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This one is inspired by the chicken strips that we had from the Ikea food court on our last visit, and it was so good we went back twice for a refill. Thats when I made a mental note to make my version of it, coz the recipe is no rocket science, just strips of chicken breast coated in a breading mixture and deep fried to golden brown goodness. Thats the beauty of this recipe, simplicity! I decided to replace bread crumbs with cheese balls just to add a twist to the recipe.

Ingredients:

Chicken breast cut into thin strips.

Cheese balls

salt and pepper for seasoning

Oil to deep fry

Method:

Marinate the chicken strips with salt and pepper and leave on for a few minutes.

Crush the cheese balls and nicely coat the chicken strips in it.

Deep fry the strips on medium high until the chicken is nice and done.

Notes:

I used cheese balls in this recipe to coat the strips, you can be as innovative as you can get and make your own breading mixture, flavored bread crumbs, Doritos, cheese crackers or whatever. If you are using bread crumbs, do not forget to dip it in egg before coating.

Do not make the strips too thick as the chicken might not get cooked properly on the inside. Also do not make the oil too hot as it would result in the outside burning and the inside not getting cooked.

You can slice up your chicken really small and follow the exact same recipe for chicken popcorns!!

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The advantage of one pot recipes is not just that they are incredibly easy to make but its also that you can vary the ingredients and their quantity and tailor make it to suit your taste buds. This recipe is made creamy and ‘chickeny’ to the right amounts such that the chicken completely masks out the spinach flavor ensuring that you get the goodness of the spinach without having to taste it 😉 It is also a treat to your eyes to watch all the ingredients blend together to form a rich and creamy delicacy.

Ingredients:

Pasta of your choice

One or two slices of cheese of your choice

Cooked chicken pieces and chicken stock

Spinach

milk

One small onion

2-3 cloves of garlic

olive oil

pepper, oregano, salt for seasoning

Method:

Heat oil in a pan.

Add finely sliced garlic and onions and sauté until soft and translucent.

Add finely chopped spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the shredded chicken and mix well. Also add the seasoning.

Pour some chicken stock and milk and add the pasta and simmer well for 15-20 minutes until the pasta is cooked well.

Add one or two slices of any cheese of your choice and watch it melt into the sauce.

Check for seasoning and switch off when the sauce thickens.

Notes:

You can use the stock from cooking the chicken to make the gravy. If you dont have stock use water, but trust me, nothing like stock!

I accidentally added some fennel seeds powder into it coz oregano and this were in similar containers but I loved the smell and flavor it gave.

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These cutlets are nice and crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. As I’m not a great fan of fish, Ive added enough potatoes to the cutlet mix and the bread crumbs coating it has been flavored with oregano to keep the tuna flavors subtle. Dip in ketchup and bite into this crunchy juicy goodness and say goodbye to all your winter woes!

Ingredients:

Canned tuna (1 can makes about 8-10 medium sized cutlets)

Mustard sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

1 big potato boiled and mashed

Oregano to flavor (optional)

Eggs and breadcrumbs to coat the cutlets

Oil

Method:

Drain the tuna of all the oil/water.

Add mustard sauce, mashed potatoes, salt and pepper and mix really well. you should be able to make balls out of the mixture. If the mixture is too runny, add some breadcrumbs to it.

Shape the cutlets, dip in egg and breadcrumbs mixed with oregano and shallow fry until nice and golden. I maintained the flame at a medium high so that it doesn’t brown so fast and cooks the cutlets really well.

Serve with ketchup .

Notes:

I mixed the breadcrumbs with oregano as I like to keep the ‘fishy’ flavor subtle. This is totally optional.

You can omit potatoes and add breadcrumbs into the mixture itself and shallow fry it without actually coating it in breadcrumbs to get nice tuna patties for your burgers.

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This one tops the list of my most favorite winter snacks. Just dip in mayo and bite into a piece of succulent juicy chicken breast and the melted cheese simply oozes into your mouth. This recipe was inspired from ‘Tasty’ and improvised to suit my taste.

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts

Cheese slice of your choice

salt and pepper

soy sauce (optional)

Bread crumbs/ crushed cheese balls

Egg

Flour

Oil to deep fry.

Method:

Marinate the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and few drops of soy sauce if you like the flavor.

Make a small slit on the middle of each piece and stuff in a small piece of cheese.

Coat the pieces in flour, dip in beaten egg and coat again with either bread crumbs or crushed cheese balls.

Deep fry in hot oil until the cheese melts and the chicken turns golden brown and well cooked.

Serve with mayo or tomato ketchup.

Notes:

You can use any cheese of your choice. A burger cheddar cheese slice was what I liked best and the color of the oozing cheese was also very appetizing!

Make sure to not make the chicken pieces too thick or it might not get properly cooked on the inside.

Stuff in enough amounts of cheese obviously 😉

Always maintain a medium high heat and do not overheat the oil as this would cause the chicken pieces to burn on the outside and not get properly cooked on the inside.

Even though bread crumbs is easier job, this tastes much better with cheese balls. So if you happen to have a packet lying there, use it.

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The Vermicelli Upma is one of the easiest dish that you can put together. The ingredients are readily available in an average kitchen and the cooking time is less than 15mins. It tastes amazing, obviously, something thats roasted in ghee, cooked in milk, flavored with saffron and served with roasted dry fruits can only be heavenly!!! A good start to the day as an easy weekend breakfast or as a refreshing tea time snack.

Ingredients:

Vermicelli (semiya)

1 cup milk

2-3 teaspoons sugar

Dry fruits

a pinch of saffron soaked in milk (optional)

Ghee 2-3 teaspoons

Method:

Dry roast the vermicelli on a medium high flame until brown and aromatic stirring continuously to avoid burning. Avoid this step if your vermicelli is already roasted.

In the same pan add the roasted vermicelli and sugar and stir for a minute. Add a cup of milk and keep stirring for a few minutes. Add more milk if the vermicelli gets too dry. Also add the saffron or any other flavoring of your choice.

Turn off the flame when the vermicelli gets semi tender and cooked. Serve with the roasted dry fruits.

Notes:

The vermicelli should be cooked only to the level that its semi tender. The Upma would taste great only if the vermicelli retains its crunchiness.

I mixed the dry fruits during cooking coz I like to find it in between my upma while eating, but you can reserve itfor garnishing or do as you please.

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Super rich and meaty, bolognese sauce, also called ragù, is a classic Italian sauce served with lasagne or pasta. Its loaded with vegetables like carrots, celery and onions, with tons and tons of meat. Gently simmered for hours to produce a thick and super rich sauce with the tanginess of the best of tomatoes. This recipe is extremely meaty and is slow cooked in a chicken broth to a heavenly perfection.

Ingredients

Pasta of your choice.

Beef minced: As much as you like!

1 Onion finely chopped

3-4 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 grated carrot

2 red and juicy diced tomatoes

Chicken broth

Tomato paste

Freshly ground pepper

Cilantro

Olive oil 3-4 tablespoons

Salt to taste

Method:

Prepare pasta as you would normally.

To prepare the sauce:

Heat olive oil in a sauce pan.

Add the garlic and sauté till it turns little brown and aromatic.

Add the onions, sauté till translucent.

Add the grated carrots.

Add in the minced beef and cook until the meat starts to click and change color

Add the diced tomatoes and the tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes until nice and combined.

Add some freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.

Pour the chicken broth and bring to boil. Add cilantro.

Gently simmer for 2-2.5 hours stirring occasionally.

Turn off the heat when the sauce gets thick and all the fat and oil is separated.

Mix the pasta and the sauce. Nicely coat the pasta with sauce.

Notes:

You can add celery or other veggies. I’m not a big fan of veggies hence used just carrots.

You can use canned tomatoes, but I’ve used fresh ones. Just make sure to pick nice and red ones coz the flavor of tomatoes is predominant in the sauce hence its important to use really nice ones.

Spaghetti goes really well with this sauce but I used fusilli because thats what I had in my kitchen.

You can use water instead of Chicken broth but I would strongly recommend the broth coz wellll……

Keep stirring every now and then. Also do check for seasoning.

Some serve the pasta and the sauce separately but I like to mix it and i do it on stovetop coz thats the way I like it. With lots of sauce and less pasta.

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Creamy, chewy and loaded with cheese, a perfectly delicious meal for the sinful foodie in you. The sauce is rich and creamy and deliciously flavorful,thanks to the chicken broth that it is cooked in, with chewy pasta and a perfectly crunchy chicken filling and bucket loads of cheese that melts in your mouth. The dish is guaranteed to fill you up and is extremely satisfying from the very first bite.

Ingredients:

1/2 packet pasta

Milk – 1/2cup

flour – 3 teaspoons

Chicken broth – 1/2 cup

oregano seasoning

Crushed pepper

crushed garlic

1 Onion roughly chopped

capsicum – 1

Shredded chicken – 1 cup

chilly sauce – 2 teaspoons

ginger garlic paste – 2 teaspoons

1 egg

grated mozzarella cheese

oil

salt

Method:

Cook the pasta as per instructions on the pack. Before draining make sure its nicely cooked.

Chicken filling:

Cook the chicken with little salt and pepper. Shred the chicken pieces. Leave the broth aside for the sauce.

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Deliciously creamy Mexican delight. An overloaded meal with pretty much everything that makes you feel good and satisfied from within. The sauce is mild yet flavorful, the tortillas perfectly soaked and loaded with chicken cooked with caramelized onions and to top it all, there’s deliciously creamy cheese that literally strings in your mouth. A perfect ‘oh so heavenly’ meal for the sinful foodies!!

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

Dried red chillies – 4 or 5

Chicken stock – a cup

Tomatoes – 2

salt

red chilly powder – 3 teaspoons

green chilly sauce – 1 teaspoon

cumin – 2 teaspoons

oregano seasoning – 2 teaspoons

garlic paste – 2 teaspoons

Flour – 2-3 teaspoons

For the filling:

Shredded chicken – 1 cup

Onions chopped – 2

pepper powder – 2-3 teaspoons

cheese cubes -1

Olive oil

For the tortillas:

Flour – 1 cup

Corn flour – 1 cup

Method:

Enchilada sauce:

Remove the seeds of the red chilies and roast them on a hot pan until it starts giving a nice smell.

Blend together the roasted chilies, tomatoes and chicken stock. (You can use the stock from cooking the chicken pieces for the filling)

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Hyderabad is a land that is very closely entwined with its food. What makes a Hyderabadi top the list of foodies is not just their passion for food, but also their dedication and effort that goes into the preparation of food, be it the selection of the finest of the finest raw materials or the utmost care they take while cooking or even the wholehearted way in which the food is served. The Hyderabadi cuisine is extremely popular in India with the Hyderabadi biriyani usually taking up most of its credit, this cuisine is not just about biriyanis. Another popular item on this meat-intensive cuisine is the ‘shahi haleem’. Available exclusively during the holy month of Ramzan or other important events like weddings, Haleem is an absolutely royal treat. It is a kind of stew prepared by slow cooking wheat,rice and lentils along with mutton pieces and served with fried onions, lime and ghee. The slow cooking ensures that all the juices of the mutton is incorporated into the dish giving it a very rich flavor. The most aromatic and flavorful spices are handpicked into the preparation of the haleem and is cooked until it gets a nice and creamy consistency. The taste is so intense that if you taste it once, you will remember it forever.